Tabitha Etabale

Tabitha Ombonyi Tabale was born in 1956 in Navakholo, Kakamega County.

She grew up as the only child to her mother in a home where her needs were completely set aside.

Instead of going to school, her childhood was spent staying at home to look after her brother’s young children whenever he married and separated from his wives. She never got the chance to get an education, leaving her unable to read or write.

After her time at home, she transitioned directly into adult life without any formal skills. She eventually got married through traditional customs and moved to a new home.

Her family grew to five children, but the burden of survival was heavy as they lacked a stable income. Her husband worked as a bicycle boda boda rider, earning barely enough to put a single meal on the table.

The family relied on this small income until her husband died suddenly twenty-five years ago.

Following his death, Tabitha tried to return home, but life became even more difficult. She moved to Al-Kareem on the outskirts of Kakamega town, where she moved into a tiny mud house that she has to rent.

To feed her family, she began selling boiled maize and eggs in town, a small business she has done for thirty years.

Her children grew up and moved out, but none of them secured stable employment. Her eldest child works as a watchman, another is a pastor. Her other son became physically disabled after a motorcycle accident where he crashed into trees, leaving him unable to walk. Tabitha is fully responsible for paying his rent and feeding him despite having no reliable income.

Her old age came with severe health issues, including high blood pressure, arthritis, and an eye problem that makes it hard to see.

She completely lost the physical strength to farm for people, and the small maize business could no longer support her or pay the rent. She frequently slept on an empty stomach and could not afford medication for her painful joints.

A concerned neighbor noticed her deep suffering and introduced her to the Mama Ibado Seniors Feeding Programme. After an assessment of her living conditions in the mud house, she was enrolled into the program on April 1, 2023.

She started receiving monthly food supplies including rice, flour, cooking oil, sugar, salt, and milk. She was also enrolled in the health program, which allows her to visit the clinic every Thursday for medical check-ups and treatment.

"I used to think I would die from hunger and sickness, but now the food lasts me a whole month and the medicine gives me the strength to survive."

Tabitha is deeply grateful for the life-saving support that restored her dignity. However, she still lives in a rented mud house and supports a disabled son who entirely depends on her. She needs continued donor assistance to afford her rent, manage her chronic illnesses, and sustain her vulnerable family.